With the present AIDS epidemic and Hepatitis B and C epidemics, accidental needle sticks and scalpel cuts have become of much more concern to health-care personnel. The conversion rate for HIV positive needle sticks is 1 in 250 sticks. The conversion rate for scalpel cuts is unknown but according to a study of 10,000 health care workers, it is believed that the conversion rate is higher. The personal risk to the health care worker and the cost to society of a disabled and dying health care worker because of an accidental cut, supports there is a personal and a monetary incentive to improve scalpel technology and safety. The scalpel has not had many basic changes made in the past 100 years other than disposable blades and micro-surgical sizes.
Most cuts occur in specific situations, the most common is the passing of a used scalpel to a scrub nurse. Another is when a surgeon swabs a bleeder and accidently stabs himself (when he forgets that the scalpel is in his other hand). Residents are also at risk when they assist a surgeon and their hands are in the surgical field. Trauma cases are another high risk situation in which an accidental laceration can occur because there many people simultaneously working on these cases and people are rushing to perform their tasks. Most accidental cuts do not occur when the surgeon is actually trying to cut tissue. If the scalpel could be automatically disarmed when not cutting then a majority of accidental scalpel cuts could be avoided.
Safety scalpels are known that have a retractable external sheath but they require two hands to operate and are not automatic.
The present invention in its broadest aspect embodies a retractable blade scalpel assembly wherein the blade is retracted by simply using a digit of the hand holding the scalpel to actuate a release mechanism. The blade retracts into the handle with a shift of the thumb or the index finger, depending upon which side of the scalpel the release mechanism is located. This retraction can be affected after each cut has been made. The retraction is a single hand operation with out any risk of cutting oneself.
The invention in a preformed embodiment comprises a disposable cartridge secured to a permanent scalpel handle. The retractable blade is received in the cartridge. The handle is auto clavable and weighted for balance. The disposable cassette is ergonomically designed in different sizes for different blade sizes. The cartridges can be recycled in special bins to reduce cost and decrease medical waste.